Scattering/XD
The Scattering was a major historical event that occurred in the chaotic period following the death of Leto II, the God-Emperor. Leto's death saw the eventual breakdown of his empire, severe famine on many worlds, and the introduction of Ixian no-ships. It was all part of The Golden Path, as put forward by Leto, which was triggered by a perceived need to diversify the human race and allow it to evolve. Origin Leto II's preborn status and prescience allowed him to see into both the past and the future, and he believed that ten thousand years of rule by the Faufreluches had allowed the human race to become stagnant, and that drastic action on Leto's part was needed in order for the human race to survive. As a result of this philosophy, during the reign of Leto II humanity was predominantly planet bound and ruled by an iron fist for more than 3500 years. This was in contrast to the relative freedom of expression and movement people enjoyed to a limited degree under the Faufreluches, the limits being predominantly the inherent control of feudal rule and the Guild monopoly on space travel. Indeed, Leto II exerted a level of control that was unprecedented in the Imperium, including power over the Guild and space travel, a feat that previous Emperors had been unable to accomplish. Upon Leto's death, the stalwart and long-established order of the Imperium disintegrated, as did control over freedoms and movement, and as a result, humanity rediscovered independence and nobilities on an unprecedented scale. This paved the way for humanity to "scatter" across the universe into the unknown and further evolution of the human race. Return from the Scattering During The Scattering, many people remained within the boundaries of the Old Imperium. Many, however, did not. Countless humans departed the Old Imperium for uncharted space, never to return. For 1500 years, humanity explored the uncharted realms of the universe beyond the boundaries of the Old Imperium. New groups and cultures evolved. After a time, some of these decided to return to the Old Imperium. Most notable of these were the Honored Matres, who were a mysterious and bizarre mutation of the Bene Gesserit, Fish Speakers, and re-awakened females from Tleilaxu Axlotl Tanks. Return of the Honored Matres The forceful, bounding comeback of the Honored Matres into spaces of human-kind's origins marked the end of the Scattering. Although the Matres could not remember, or would not tell, who they were retreating from, it was found out by Murbella, leader of the combined New Sisterhood, who the entity was -- Thinking Machines. Earlier, near the end of The Scattering, the Matre sub-commander Lenise bounded upon, stole Obliterator weapons from, and then destroyed a Thinking Machine outpost in deep space. Just before its' destruction, the outpost sent a signal to Synchrony, home of the reborn Machine leaders, Omnius and Erasmus. Now knowing where humanity lie again, the Machines counter-attacked the Matres with starships and the dreaded Omnius Scourge. This caused the Matres to flee back towards the Old Imperium. Their return to the Known Universe, was marked by an intent on conquering and ruling the planets of the Old Imperium, as well as trying to escape from the machines. To accomplish the prior, the Matres knew they had commit to the destruction of the Bene Gesserit and the remnants of the Old Order, and get revenge on the Tleilaxu. Behind the Scenes Within the context of Frank Herbert's original novels, the Scattering occurs between the novels God Emperor of Dune and Heretics of Dune.